Good afternoon! The rain may be falling at SW19 but on Centre Court we have that magical invention known as a roof. Yes, the rain won't be able to touch the grass on Centre and it certainly won't be able to stop us bringing you LIVE coverage of the third round clash between Rafael Nadal and Mikhail Kukushkin.

GAME SET AND MATCH RAFAEL NADAL! 6-7 6-1 6-1 6-1. The Spaniard seals it with another trademark inside out crosscourt forehand. That was a complete and utter mauling. Apart from, of course, that first set. That seems an awfully long time ago now, and actually seems quite bizarre given how one sided the following three sets were. Kukushkin fought well for a set. Nadal goes through to the fourth round.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 5-1 KUKUSHKIN. The final nail in the coffin, if another one was needed. Nadal rushes to 0-40 on the Kukushkin serve. The Kazakh knows the game is up, he's swinging wildly now. Gung-ho, I believe it's called. It works briefly but he then misses, handing Nadal another break and the chance to serve out the match.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 4-1 KUKUSHKIN. That's just far too good! At 30-15 Nadal is on the run but tracks the ball down and whips his racquet like a lasso, sending the ball fizzing down the line, into the corner, and out of the reach of Kukushkin. The Kazakh can't return Nadal's serve at 40-15 and the Spaniard edges closer to victory.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 3-1 KUKUSHKIN. Kukushkin is having to work so hard for every point. It must be demoralising for him at times. But he hangs in there on break point down, slugging it out from the baseline with the greatest slugger of them all and coming out on top. At deuce though he throws in an unforgiveablely sloppy forehand unforced error that sails long. Not good enough against Rafa, I'm afraid. A string of deuces ensues and the Kukushkin second serve is simply not good enough. It's getting punished but the Kazakh finds enough first serves to get across the line. Boy was that a struggle.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 3-0 KUKUSHKIN. What's this? Break points on the Nadal serve? Who saw that coming? Rafa shanks a forehand to bring up 15-40 and the first break points he's had to face today. Kukushkin is wasteful, though. His returns from that point on are simply awful. The glimmer of hope disappears and normaliy is resumed.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 2-0 KUKUSHKIN. Oh no, he's break point down again and the Centre Court crowd are growing uneasy about the scale of this mauling. Big cheers as he saves it but hold on, Nadal has another one. No sympathy from the Spaniard. He takes it. Cue the most muted of muted applause.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 1-0 KUKUSHKIN. Nadal holds comfortably, obviously, to get the fourth set underway. Big service game coming up for Kukushkin. Is there any fight left?

This stat is a corker and tells the story of the match. Kukushkin's winner count - 1st set: 17, 2nd set: 5, 3rd set: 2.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 6-1 KUKUSHKIN. Nadal breaks again and takes the third set. Traffic has never been so one way.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 5-1 KUKUSHKIN. Nadal holds to 15 and is looking as deadly as ever behind his first serve. Kukushkin to serve to stay in the set.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 4-1 KUKUSHKIN. How the complexion of this match has changed. Kukushkin was surprising everyone with his level of tennis in the first set but he can't reproduce that level at the moment. At the same time, Nadal is getting stronger, missing less and remorselessly turning the screw. The gulf in class is now making itself apparent. Kukushkin's serve eventally crumbles and Nadal has a double break.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 3-1 KUKUSHKIN. Nadal impressively plucks the ball out of the air as it comes over from Kukushkin following a call 'long'. The camera hones in on Tendulkar and Tuffers in the Royal Box - they'd have been proud of that one. Nadal kicks on for a comfortable hold.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 2-1 KUKUSHKIN. Kukushkin stops the rot. At 40-15 he's looking good but an outrageous crosscourt backhand return from Nadal helps peg the score back to deuce. The Kazakh digs in and gets over the line, getting himself moving in the third set.

Nadal has won 7 games in a row now.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 2-0 KUKUSHKIN. It's another love service game for Nadal. It's too easy at the moment. All the momentum is with the Spaniard.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 1-0 KUKUSHKIN. You can't help but feel this match is only going one way now. Kukushkin looks weary and slips at 0-15. He's ok, but he's 0-30 down now. He claws his way back to 30-30 but Nadal hits a forehand winner. On break point it's the forehand again that does the damage - Kukushkin can't get the ball back over the net. It's another Nadal break at the start of this third set.

NADAL 6-7 6-1 KUKUSHKIN. Nadal serves for the set and does so successfully with no trouble whatsoever. It's a love game and he's back on track here, one set apiece.

NADAL 6-7 5-1 KUKUSHKIN. Nadal wants a double break, he's hungry now. Kukushkin keeps him at bay with a big serve at 15-30 but the Spaniard puts away a forehand winner and it's another break point. And he takes it! And how! He runs round his backhand to the extent that he's way wide of and behind the baseline when he unleashes that trademark inside out crosscourt forehand. It's a winner - of course it is - and it's a double break.

NADAL 6-7 4-1 KUKUSHKIN. Kukushkin brings up 15-30 with a wonderful crosscourt backhand that zips of the line before Nadal can react. He wastes a glorious opportunity at 30-30, though, with a sloppy forehand. We go to deuce and on advantage Nadal produces a timely big serve to back up his break.

NADAL 6-7 3-1 KUKUSHKIN. Told you so! Knew that would happen. That's why I pointed out the stat - to make it happen. Yes, we have a break point, you're welcome. Not break point singular but break points plural. The first comes and goes but Kukushkin nets on the second. Nadal draws blood in the second set with the first break of the match.